


The Last Surviving Robinson(s)

by LunaMoth116



Category: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Aromantic, Families of Choice, Family, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Immortality, Light Angst, Male Friendship, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Post-Series, Prompt Fill, Unconventional Families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-23 19:21:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20345377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaMoth116/pseuds/LunaMoth116
Summary: Joel never has to wonder about what will happen to the ’bots.





	The Last Surviving Robinson(s)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dandelionish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandelionish/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Crimson_Square](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crimson_Square/pseuds/Crimson_Square) in the [GenAndAroPrompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GenAndAroPrompts) collection. 
  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [GenAndAroPrompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GenAndAroPrompts) collection. 

> _Written for the following prompt:_
> 
> _“Fandom of your choice._
> 
> _That soulmate AU where people stop aging until they meet their soulmate(s? if you figure out a way to maybe work in something that's nicer to poly folks, that'd be nice). With a main character who's aro, non-amorous, and perfectly happy with immortality. Maybe they're getting into adventures over the centuries, maybe they're a historian chronicling history; they're definitely kind of puzzled at everyone who's looking forward to growing old and dying, though, because there's so much life to experience._
> 
> _[What should not happen: Them meeting anybody who makes them age. Just… no.]”_
> 
> _(Also later added as a response to this prompt: “Basically, write a fanfiction for any fandom with under 500 works (the limit is reasonably elastic) that includes an ace/aro spectrum character. The goal is pretty much to try to expand some small fandoms with fics including ace/aro characters, something smaller fandoms might not have. Can be any length, any plot (just generally not upsetting)!”)_
> 
> _My first foray into a completely new AU with these two! I’ve never said this before, but part of me has always wondered: what’s going to happen to the ’bots when Joel/Mike/Jonah dies? Shoutout to GentleHum for one possible answer [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12774471/chapters/29229519#workskin), but when I saw this prompt, the idea just snowballed from there. Big thanks to Crimson_Square for the great premise! Check out the rest of the challenge for more wonderful fics (and prompts!)._   
_As much as I ship Joike, it was a ton of fun to write these two as purely platonic. I like to think that no matter the circumstances, they’d end up together in some fashion post-series. (And maybe, just maybe, Jonah might someday join them too. But I haven’t written that yet. ^_~)_   
_For Dandelionish, who I wouldn’t mind spending a non-romantic eternity with. ;) :) Thank you for reading!_
> 
> **Disclaimer:** _I don’t even own the idea this time around! Oh, well. Can’t say I mind too much. ;)_

_ “We survived because, well, we're Robinsons, roughly.” _

_ ~ Joel Robinson, Episode 323, _Mystery Science Theater 3000

Joel would never have admitted it to anyone, but…being shot into space was something of a relief.

Sure, he was all alone, thousands of miles above Earth with only mad scientists and bad movies for company, but as far as the alternative went, he could certainly do much worse.

He wondered sometimes if Dr. F would have picked him, if he had known that he _ liked _being alone.

He never envied or felt sad for friends or family who found their soulmates, finding joy in their happiness, even if he didn’t fully understand it. But meeting his soulmate wasn’t something he cared about. _ No, _ he’d had to explain far too often to well-meaning acquaintances, _ it’s not that I don’t want to die, even though I don’t. I’m just not interested. _

It was just as well he was more into machines than people, anyway.

He’d long since accepted his inevitable immortality — “the last surviving Robinson” kind of had a nice ring to it. But several experiments later on the SOL, he quickly realized he needed something to care for besides himself, if only to keep his sanity. Even on Earth he’d started to think that, even if he’d never gotten around to doing anything about it.

So he built the ’bots. Crow was first, followed by Cambot and Tom Servo in quick succession, with Gypsy coming last (but far from least). For the first time in his long, long life, Joel had companions he knew would never die, would always be there for him. Whether that had been his main motivation in building them — well, even he wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter; with them by his side, the experiments were much more fun, daily life was less tedious, and Joel was the happiest he’d ever been.

He sometimes wondered about taking them back to Earth, if he ever got to go back. He’d find them all a comfortable little apartment, maybe pick up some odd jobs, flip burgers if he had to. Gypsy might strike out on her own, but the others would stay. Tom would join a choir, Crow would rack up his comic book collection, Cambot would take up film studies. Or whatever they wanted to do. Maybe they’d travel, and he’d show them a world they had only ever seen from space. And even if they never left the ship and had to watch bad movies until the sun became a black hole and swallowed them up, that would be okay, too. It would still be the five of them together, forever. The last surviving Robinsons.

Until, five years later, he left them.

He hadn’t meant to. If he could have, he would have taken them all. But he hadn’t had a choice.

He traveled Australia for a while, doing pyrotechnics and other various things, and eventually ended up in Osseo, Minnesota, where he became manager of the local Hot Fish Shop. But despite how good it was to be back on Earth, and all the new adventures he was having, he couldn’t ignore the ’bot-shaped holes in his life, or the guilt eating away at him. What could he do?

He nearly wept with relief when he later learned that he had been replaced — whether the ’bots wanted the company or not, they wouldn’t _ have _to be alone. The reprieve was short-lived, however, once he learned the SOL would break down. Saving them and their new companion wasn’t even a choice. It was a duty.

Until one terrible, persistent thought began to nag at him: what if Mike was his soulmate?

He knew then that he couldn’t take them back.

Of course he would have taken the ’bots in a heartbeat, but once he learned Mike was up there, he certainly couldn’t abandon him. But if Mike turned out to be his soulmate… Improbable, perhaps, that his soulmate might be the one person he never had any chance of meeting on Earth, but not _ impossible. _All Joel had to do was meet him, and the hourglass would turn, the days of his life now measured in a slow trickle of sand. He could almost feel the grains slipping through his fingers, coarse and ephemeral, from the moment he first laid eyes on Mike. He smiled, shook hands, genuinely liked Mike from their first meeting, but was thankful for the excuse of having to work on the ship to quickly end their conversation.

He hated to leave them all with a feeble excuse, but it was the only thing he could think of to do.

Almost from the moment he touched down, he ran for the nearest mirror and scrutinized every inch of his face, looking for even a hint of the true age he was so keen to avoid. Alone in his bedroom, he inspected himself as closely as he had once examined the parts of the SOL, looking for any signs of life — but now one that would be ending, rather than beginning.

It took three months of constant checking before he could finally relax, confident Mike was not his soulmate. The relief, however, was quickly tempered with regret. He _ could _ have taken them all back. He _ should _ have. So what if it had meant his life was over? They’d all be safe on Earth, living the rest of their lives together, for however long or short that might be. And as for the ’bots — he would have figured _ something _out. Maybe he could have uploaded his consciousness into a computer. Or Mike might still be around to look after them. Soulmate meetings weren’t always two-way.

He eventually settled back into daily life, Mike and the ’bots never far from his thoughts. And he wondered, for the first time, about his future.

Before going into space, he’d been content with the thought of spending the rest of his days alone, friends and family drifting in and out of his life like waves lapping against the shore, immortal and otherwise. Then he’d created the ’bots, and a future with them seemed all but certain. But now…would they even want to see him again? Why would they, when Mike had always been there for them?

The ’bots might one day be truly all he had left in the world. And they might want nothing to do with him.

For only the second time — the first being when he met Mike — not knowing what the future held terrified him.

Then they found him again.

The day Mike and the ’bots showed up to greet him outside the Hot Fish Shop was one of the happiest of Joel’s life — most of all because of how happy the ’bots were to see _ him. _Thankfully, Mike didn’t seem to hold any grudges, either. Even with Mike, Tom, Crow and Cambot living in Milwaukee, and Gypsy preparing to move out to start up her own company, Joel vowed to stay close with all of them. And they did, visiting each other as many weekends as they could, calling and emailing when they couldn’t.

As thrilled as he was to have Mike and the ’bots back in his life, Joel’s worries weren’t fully assuaged. He was glad Mike had stuck around, that he clearly cared for the ’bots as much as they did for him (even if they would never admit that), and that he and Mike had become friends. But that didn’t mean the future was certain. They still lived several hours apart; it would be all too easy for them to lose touch if life got in the way. What would happen if Mike met his soulmate — or if Joel was his soulmate? Had Joel unwittingly doomed his new friend? Of course the ’bots could come live with him if something happened to Mike, but what if something happened to _ him_, too? Being immortal in this world didn’t mean you couldn’t die. Tomorrow he could be hit by a bus, contract a particularly virulent strain of _ E. coli_, trip in his kitchen and fall on a knife in the dishwasher (so _ that _was why his mother had always told him not to put them in there). Anything could happen.

Of course, nothing could happen, and all his fears would be for naught. But he didn’t know.

He spent more nights awake thinking it all over than he had ever spent doing anything else. At least he had plenty of time to catch up on sleep.

Finally, several months after their reunion, Joel and Mike were spending a rare quiet afternoon in Joel’s kitchen, drinking coffee and chatting aimlessly. Tom and Crow had gone to a friend’s house to play video games, and Cambot was out shopping for a new lens. Joel would never remember how the topic came up, but at one point they began discussing how Mike had recently started taking walks.

“Took a while to convince Tom and Crow to come with me, but they love it now,” Mike said, sipping from his mug. “It’s a lot more fun with them, actually; they point out all this stuff I would never notice on my own.”

Joel smiled. “It’s fun to see the world through their eyes, isn’t it? So why’d you start taking walks?”

Mike shrugged. “Doctor says I need more exercise, that it’ll keep me young. I don’t know about that, but it’s free, and it’s nice to get outside after working all day.” He took another swallow. “Which reminds me — there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Sure, what is it?”

Mike looked keenly at him. “Ever since we got back to Earth, and we’ve been hanging out, I’ve been wondering about something.”

Joel tilted his head, curious.

Mike continued, “The ’bots showed me pictures of you from your first year on the satellite, and I have to say, you don’t look like you’ve aged at all.”

Joel felt his pulse jump. “Um…thank you.”

Mike wasn’t done yet, though. “So what’s your secret? Vitamins? Vegetables? Did you invent the Fountain of Youth?”

Joel could have said anything in response. _ Good genes, I guess _ or _ Staying out of the sun _ or _ Ever tried calisthenics? _But somehow, he felt compelled to tell the truth. Maybe because he needed to be honest with himself, too.

He set down his cup, swallowing hard.

“I…don’t age, Mike.”

Mike frowned. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Joel took a deep breath, looking Mike in the eye. “I — I haven’t met my soulmate, Mike.”

Mike’s brow furrowed for a few moments, then cleared. “Oh, right. That thing.” To Joel’s astonishment, he smiled. “Good to know it’s not just me.”

Joel could only stare. “You — you, too?”

Mike nodded. “I’ve never said this to anyone before, but…to be honest, I’m glad I haven’t.”

Joel almost fell off his chair. All this time… He had to know. He had to ask one more question.

“If you don’t mind…how old are you, Mike?”

Mike told him, and Joel could have been knocked over with a feather. Instead, he almost collapsed on the table, air whooshing out of his lungs along with years of tension. Oh, why hadn’t they had this conversation sooner?

“Joel?” Mike started to stand up, looking concerned. “Are you okay?”

Joel quickly sat up, gesturing for him to stay seated. “Yeah, I am. Better than okay, actually.” He smiled a little. “Sorry to break it to you, but turns out _ you’re _ the younger man in this relationship.”

Mike chuckled. “Can’t say I’m too upset about that.”

They kept talking, and everything Joel had held inside for so long finally spilled out: how he had never wanted a soulmate and still didn’t, how being shot into space was actually a gift, why he had created the ’bots and how he had worried about them ever since, and finally, his fears about meeting Mike that had never come to pass. Mike simply listened, asking occasional questions, and never gave any indication that his attention was wavering or that he thought any less of Joel now.

“I’m sorry, Mike,” Joel said, when at last he ran out of things to say. “I guess maybe I should have just talked to you about all this. But…I didn’t know you, and I don’t really talk about it with anyone. I just — it’s my business, you know?”

Mike nodded in understanding. “Of course, Joel. I didn’t talk about it with you either for the same reason. And, as long as we’re being honest…” He paused, then smiled slightly. “I was kind of scared to meet you, too.”

Joel’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Mike nodded again. “I don’t know if it’s for the same reasons as you, but like I said, I’m glad I haven’t met my soulmate. It’s not that I don’t want to die — even though I don’t — but I didn’t really like the idea of settling down. I like being free to do what I want, go where I want. I always have, and I think I always will. But now…” Mike’s gaze, which had wandered to the table, suddenly snapped back up to Joel’s. “I don’t think I want to do it alone anymore.”

Joel’s heart started to race again. “Mike, I…”

Mike held up a hand. “Relax, Joel. I didn’t mean what you think I meant.”

Joel obeyed, still guarded, but intrigued.

“I meant that before all this happened, I thought I was just going to spend eternity bouncing from job to job, moving from place to place, never staying anywhere too long. But now…” Mike smiled. “I like the thought of coming home to you and the ’bots. Forever.”

Joel practically dissolved into a puddle. He reached for Mike’s hand, squeezing it lightly, and Mike didn’t pull away.

“I like that too, Mike.”

Mike placed his other hand on top of Joel’s, pressing them together in a firm, yet relaxed grip. It was the kind of hold that was both secure and free; Joel could easily slip out, but the comfort of Mike’s hands on his was reassuring, protective. There was no way either of them was letting go.

Mike’s grin was so wide it seemed to fill the space between them. “So…let’s make it happen, shall we?”

o~O~o

Several weeks later, Mike moved with Joel and the ’bots into a bigger apartment in Osseo, and the Robinson and Nelson families unofficially became the Robinson-Nelson family. Eventually Joel and Mike saved up enough to purchase a house together, big enough for the six of them and sturdy enough to last for years, yet needing enough improvements to keep Joel busy. He continued running the Hot Fish Shop, and Mike kept up his temp work, accepting jobs from all sorts of places — but not too far from home anymore. Crow and Tom were enrolled in elementary school; Gypsy, who eventually decided to move back in, ran her company; Cambot did whatever he liked, joining film and photography groups and taking plenty of nature hikes (well, hovers). In their free time, they traveled, played board, card and video games, watched movies good and bad, got together with friends, and dealt with the demands of everyday life without any of the pressures.

It was a perfectly normal life. The kind of life that had been denied to all of them for far too long, and that so many others, with or without soulmates, took for granted.

Joel was thankful for every single day.

He still didn’t know what the future held. But he wasn’t going to sit around worrying about it.

In the meantime, he had gadgets to build. A growing list of books to read. An even longer list of movies to watch. A house to work on. A 3,000-piece jigsaw to assemble. A whole world to show his ’bots that they couldn’t even imagine. A return trip to Australia to save for. An eternity to do it all and then some.

And as a bonus, Mike would be there too. The six of them would never grow old together. But, with a little luck, they would keep growing together. Forever.

The last surviving Robinson-Nelsons.

He liked the sound of that.


End file.
